A Look at the Future of Graphic Design)Georgia Schumacher)2/23/2012<p>Welcome to part 3 in our series looking at the future of some of the occupational fields related http://www.argosy.edu/our-community/blog/a-look-at-the-future-of-graphic-design

A Look at the Future of Graphic Design

Welcome to part 3 in our series looking at the future of some of the occupational fields related to our programs at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh – Online Division. Today we’re going to take a look at some trends in outlooks in the field of Graphic Design.

There are few professions that touch so many areas as Graphic Design. Just look around you right now – it’s likely that something around you has been influenced by a graphic designer – from the page you’re reading this on, to the menu on the table at your local coffee shop.

As pervasive as Graphic Design is, it doesn’t mean that it is not being constantly transformed by technology. As the media world (advertising, publishing, entertainment, etc.) moves increasingly from print to electronic based mediums, the world of the Graphic Designer will certainly follow suit.

"Employment of graphic designers is expected to grow 13 percent, as fast as the average for all occupations from 2008 to 2018, as demand for graphic design continues to increase from advertisers and computer design firms.

"Moreover, graphic designers with Web site design and animation experience will especially be needed as demand increases for design projects for interactive media—Web sites, mobile phones, and other technology. Demand for graphic designers also will increase as advertising firms create print and Web marketing and promotional materials for a growing number of products and services. Growth in Internet advertising, in particular, is expected to increase the number of designers. However, growth may be tempered by reduced demand in the print publishing, where many graphic designers are employed."

But what about the role of the Graphic Designer in the organizations of the future? Will their role within organizations change along with the changing face of technology? Roger Martin, the dean of the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, argues in an article published by AIGA, the professional association for design, that “designers, by their nature, can bring solutions to light that escape others”:

“I think in a knowledge intensive world where advancing knowledge is the key to value creation and the key to competitive advantage to organizations, this capacity of design thinking is absolutely critical to having organizations overcome the biggest block they have, which is a dependence on analytical thinking and a fear of intuitive thinking. It's the thing in-between.”

With these facts and thoughts in mind, the future of Graphic Design certainly seems like it’s going to be an interesting and exciting one. Would you like to learn more? You might want visit the AIGA website, the Bureau of Labor Statistics or explore one of the Graphic Design programs offered at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh – Online Division.

Stay tuned for part 4 of our series, a look at the future of Media and Game Art Design.